San
Joaquin County
Biographies
OTTO BILLIGMEIER
Classed with the successful
viticulturists of San Joaquin County, Otto Billigmeier is the owner of a
beautiful and productive vineyard property northwest of Victor. He was born in McIntosh County, North Dakota,
on February 28, 1895, a son of Samuel and Katherine (Hinz)
Billigmeier, natives of southern Russia. His father, Samuel Billigmeier, came to the
United States from Russia and settled in North Dakota, where he homesteaded a
160-acre farm and there engaged in farming.
In April, 1902, he brought his family to California and first located at
Lockeford, where they remained for one year; then he moved to Lodi and bought a
twenty-acre ranch near Victor, which he set to vines. Mrs. Billigmeier passed away on January 23,
1923. There were ten children in the
family: Christina, now Mrs.
Christiansen, of Lodi; Matilda, deceased; Paulina, Mrs. Hepper, of Lodi; Tilly,
Mrs. Rathjan, of Lodi; Sarah, Mrs. Dewey, of Stockton; Esril,
who served in the World War and now resides at Livingston; Otto, the subject of
this sketch; Robert, of Lodi; and John, living at home.
When a lad of
seven years Otto Billigmeier accompanied his parents to Lockeford. He attended the Lockeford, Alpine and Victor district
schools, which afforded him a good education, and with the knowledge gained on
his father’s ranch he was able, at the age of eighteen, to start out for himself. He worked at
odd jobs throughout the county for about four years, and then he and his
brother Robert bought a twenty-acre vineyard.
On November 2, 1917, Mr. Billigmeier entered the service of his country
and was sent to Camp Lewis, where he remained for a short time. He was then sent to Camp Mills, New York, and
was placed in Battery C, 146th Field Artillery, and was sent
overseas on December 24, 1917. Landing
in Liverpool, England, he went to Winchester and Southampton, and then across
the Channel to Havre, France. His
regiment was sent to Bordeaux, where they trained until July, 1918, then sent
to the Alsace front, and afterwards to the St. Mihiel salient. Mr. Billigmeier was in the Champagne-Marne,
Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse, and the Argonne, and also at Montigny, near
Stenay. After the Armistice was signed,
his regiment was in the Army of Occupation, and remained at Grenzenhausen,
Germany, for about six months, and he was military police interpreter for the
regiment. In June, 1919, they set sail
for the United States, and Mr. Billigmeier was discharged at the Presidio at
San Francisco, July 1, 1919, and received the Victory medal with five bars from
his Government, and then returned to his home in Victor.
On February 11, 1920, in Lodi,
California, Mr. Billigmeier was married to Miss Bertha Schmierer, a daughter of
John and Katherine (Motz) Schmierer,
who brought their family from North Dakota to Lodi, where the father was a
vineyardist. Mrs. Billigmeier was born
in McIntosh County, North Dakota, but received her education in the Alpine and
Victor schools, where she and Mr. Billigmeier were schoolmates. Their union has been blessed with two
children, Marjorie Lois and Stanley Harold.
On his return from the service, Mr. Billigmeier resumed farming, his
brother Robert having cared for their place, and soon afterwards they bought a
ten-acre place adjoining, but in 1922 they divided the property and dissolved
partnership. Otto built a modern
bungalow on his ten-acre vineyard, and purchased another ten acres, so he now
has twenty acres of vineyard and orchard.
Politically Mr. Billigmeier is a Republican, and fraternally, he is a
member of the Improved Order of Red Men of Lodi and the Lodi Post No. 22,
American Legion. Mr. and Mrs.
Billigmeier are members of the Evangelical Church of Lodi, where Mrs.
Billigmeier is the organist and Mr. Billigmeier sings in the choir.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1244-1247. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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